Unfortunate Crying
by Dr. McPepper
Summary: When Meredith has a bad experience,she decides the only thing left for her is nothing.She is about to make a change in her life that will hopefully turn out for the better.But things can always get worse.Starts:end of Yesterday.Pairings:undecided
1. Crying is Bad

Here I am crying once again. Only this time it's a little bit inconvenient. I mean here I am crying again with George on top of me. Crying during sex is a very bad thing. But I'm sad, so I'm crying. And George is leaving the room now. I really can't blame him, but I really just need to cry.

Why did he choose tonight to say all of those wonderful things to me? All of those beautiful things that any girl would love to hear, George says to me when I'm drunk, and sad. Oh what a way to end a crappy day. I really just had to cry. The sex might have been a release, but I had to ruin it by crying. Now George and I will never be the same. I should have brought home "McSteamy." He wouldn't have said all of those wonderful things to me and make me cry. He would have just given me really good, really drunk, really inappropriate sex that I would have been able to forget about in the morning. But, no. I came home alone, and George said wonderful things to me. Here I am crying, once again.

I need to get out of Seattle. There's nothing left for me anymore. My friends are going to hate me after tonight, Derek has Addison, my mom has Alzheimer's, and my dad has a new family. I really need to get out Seattle. I think I'll go to Boston, I'm tired of the weather here in this god-forsaken rainy city. No, Boston's not right. New York? That would be the perfect way to move on from Derek. We'll just trade cities. Besides, after tonight, "McSteamy" owes me some really good, drunk sex.

I think I'm going to pack my bags and start my new life tonight. The sooner I get out of this town the better. I'm smothering here. I was literally so sad that I started crying AGAIN, and during sex. Things are that bad. A change will do me good.


	2. Packing is Good

Packing went by in a whirlwind. I got the clothes that I would need immediately together and I left the rest of my stuff there. I was so focused on getting things ready to go to New York that I never actually thought about it. I just packed.

As I walked out the door I decided I should probably leave a note for George and Izzie. They would wonder where I was, I suppose. That is, if George even cared what I did now, after last night.

Hey Guys,

I know you're probably tired of dealing with my drama and frankly I am too. So I'm saving you a lot of trouble. I'm moving to New York. I'll still have the same cell phone number if you need to call.

I'm really sorry for all the trouble I've caused. Especially to you, George. I never meant to hurt you and I'll never be able to forgive myself for doing it. I love you.

Love,

Meredith.

Even though I knew my note would do no good, I hoped that it would. I hoped that George would read it and be able to forgive me, move on, and definitely forget me. I wasn't worth remembering. I was dark and twisty and no one deserved that in their life. Not only did I hope that George would be able to forgive the memory of me I hoped that I was able to forgive myself. I'd done a terrible thing last night, and hopefully New York would provide solace.

I decided the quicker I got out of the house the better. So I left the note on the table, grabbed my bags and jumped in the Jeep. I'd already reserved my spot on the plane but it didn't leave for a few hours. Maybe the time alone would give me some time to think. Actually, never mind, thinking was probably a bad idea. But maybe the airport bar would be open. I could really use a drink.

I would call the Chief and Christina from the plane. That would be better for me because I was afraid both of them would try and talk me out of this "irrational" decision. But I knew what I needed to do and I didn't need to hear otherwise. This was going to be good for me, and if it wasn't hopefully the Chief would find a place for me back in the Intern program at Seattle Grace.

No, I wasn't going to New York to be a doctor. I was going to New York to get away from doctors. I would have to find a new, less stressful job to keep me occupied. But I can worry about that when I get to New York. I've got some money saved back in my bank account, and there's always my mother's money. She wasn't going to be using it any time soon.

As I pull into the parking space at the airport, I realize this is exactly what I need. I had no doubts and definitely no reservations. I was going to make this change in my life and it was definitely going to turn out for the better.

It was time for me to make my own McDreamy life and stop relying on other people, mainly men, to do it for me. But I still needed a drink.

I checked my bags and headed straight for the bar. I really wasn't kidding about needing a drink. But there was someone sitting there, that I hadn't expected to see. Someone very handsome, very successful, and very single. Wait, wasn't I just two seconds ago saying I didn't men in my life? Yes, I was. So I was definitely going to ignore the gaze of this might as well be a stranger. Because I was starting a new chapter in my life. One without men.

Man, is this going to be hard.

**A/N: thanks go out to Absent Heart for reviewing. I just changed the rating so hopefully I will get more readers. Hope you enjoy this latest part. Things are really getting ready to change in Meredith's life for sure**.


	3. Drinks are Bad

Seeing that particular guy sitting at the bar, I knew I was going to have a hard time dealing with this whole "no man" thing. My vow of celibacy might have been seriously short-lived. But I was determined to at least try. He couldn't be that seductive. Could he?

Oh, nevermind. He was seducing me from across the room and he didn't even know I was there. He was that good. But, we knew he would be good. Christina, Izzie and I don't assign nicknames without good reason. He sutured his own face for crying out loud! Definitely "McSteamy." I'm starting to re-think this whole drink thing. It might not turn out for the good. And I really did not need to be having the kind of inappropriate sex that happens in airports. That would definitely be a very large step back.

But I really needed that drink. Drink trumps practical, any day.

I would just stay on the opposite side of the bar. Yes, that would work. It would have to. He probably wouldn't recognize me anyway. I was going with that thought. He definitely wouldn't recognize me. Obviously, he wasn't the kind of guy that would remember a girl like me.

I walked up to the bar, determined to get that drink. "Shot of tequila, please. And keep 'em coming."

"Whatever," was the muffled reply from the over-worked bartender. This wasn't Joe's, and if I wanted someone to talk to I was definitely not going to get it.

Oh well. I just needed to sit here and shoot tequila. Until it was time for my plane to leave. That was what my life had become. Shooting tequila until I couldn't anymore.

It was sad, really.

"Meredith Grey! In the airport bar of all places. What a…pleasant…surprise. Now why would a girl like you be shooting tequila in an airport bar?" came the voice from across the bar belonging to none other than Mark Sloan.

Ignorance is bliss, I've decided. And unlike that unfortunate encounter with Derek a while back, this, I was definitely going to keep ignoring.

"Ahhh, you're ignoring me. You shouldn't do that, you know?" came a voice from much closer. As in, he was right next to me closer. And, seriously, did he and Derek go to the same school for picking up girls. That was just too reminiscent of what he said to me.

Keep ignoring, I told myself. This couldn't go anywhere good.

"Seriously, Meredith, you can't ignore me all night. I don't give up easily, and I really am curious as to why you're here." He said, more gently this time.

Once again, the tears flowed. Why was it that any small act of kindness from a man I was reduced to a puddle. A literal puddle. I mean, seriously! This man might as well have been a stranger and I was CRYING in front of him. If I was having any doubts about leaving Seattle, they were gone now. Obviously the rain was messing with my brain chemistry. If I kept crying like this I would be in major trouble.

"Its just that my dad….and George…and after Derek….and my MOOOOM!" I knew I was incomprehensible, but I just needed to cry.

"Shhhh! Shhhh! Don't cry! I didn't mean to make you cry." He soothed.

"Its not you, its me." I said. I was beginning to calm down. At least he could understand me now.

"Hey! We just met and already you're using that line on me? I get the hint." He chuckled.

I had to laugh. He knew how to make me laugh. That was a BAD sign.

"But you obviously need a friend right now. So how about we start there? I'm Mark Sloan, and you are?" he prompted.

"Meredith Grey. Pleasure to meet you. I'm moving to New York." I decided I might as well start this conversation with the truth.

"In that case, why don't you move in with me?"

**A/N: thanks to all the reviews. and props to Ali for catching the Augustana line in the first chapter. Hope you guys keep reading and reviewing. As long as you do that, I'll keep updating. Sorry for another cliff-hanger. They just seem like the best way to end chapters to keep you guys reading.**


	4. Friends are Good

"What!?" I sputtered. Did he just ask me to move in with him. I barely knew him.

"Well, my apartment's huge, and I want some company. I know it might seem sudden. But I could really use some friendship. Derek was my best friend, and he left. And Addison followed. I'm lonely. And you look lonely. And I thought. Hey, we can be lonely together." He explained.

"I don't know. Me lonely plus you lonely doesn't sound like a good mix. I'm not moving to New York so that I can gather up a whole new set of issues." I reasoned.

"I'm not asking you to. I just need a friend. The offer is on the table, here's my cell number. Call me if you accept. I've got a plane to catch." And with that, he was gone. Leaving me to think, which was rarely a good thing.

What if I did move in with him? It would be something new, and he didn't seem like he was interested in me sexually. Which I didn't need. What I did was a friend in New York. The transition was going to be hard without someone to talk to. And Mark would know exactly what I was going through.

So I'd made my decision. I was moving in with Mark Sloan. I was starting a new chapter in my life, with a new friend, a new room-mate, and a new city. Things were going to get better. I would make sure of it. I figured I would call him as soon as my plane landed in New York. I didn't want to call him too soon, because I wanted to appear aloof.

I glanced at my watch. It was time to go. My new life was beginning. And what an awesome start it was.

As I walked briskly through the airport, I smiled. This was good.

The clerk asked for my boarding pass and I gladly handed it over. Leaving Seattle behind felt strangely nice. Like a weight was being lifted off of my shoulders.

As I found my seat I noticed a familiar head of hair. A head of hair I'd seen not too long ago walking away from in an airport bar. What were the strange and incalculable odds that our seats would be next to each other. The Fates were laughing at us tonight.

I guess I wouldn't have to keep him waiting about my decision after all.

"Hey. Funny seeing you here." I said, by way of greeting.

"I pulled a few strings to make sure I had the seat next to yours. I figured if you weren't going to move in with me I could use this time to persuade you." He explained.

"Oh. I was wondering what the odds were of us randomly getting a seat together."

"Astronomical." He confirmed. "Have you decided?"

"About what?" I asked, nonchalantly.

"Being my room-mate?" he answered.

"Oh, that. I haven't given it too much thought. But it probably couldn't hurt to try it out. To be honest I could use a friend too. I managed to screw up all my friendships with one stupid mistake. Which wasn't all my fault, by the way. It takes two people to make inappropriate sexual decisions. And now I'm rambling. I do that when I'm nervous. Which I don't know why I'm nervous…."

"Okay. I think I get the point. Your life is dark and twisty. Join the club." He cut me off.

"Would you mind if we didn't talk anymore? I'm a little drunk and more than a little tired and I really just want to sleep." I changed the subject. Talking about me being dark and twisty is not the best way to start a relationship. Besides dark and twisty was an understatement. I'm scary and damaged.

"Sure. You can sleep."

But I only vaguely registered him answering. I was off to dream world. I hope I don't snore. That might be embarrassing.


	5. Late Night Phone Calls are Bad

**A/N: The first part of this chapter is in the point of view of Christina.**

I was abruptly woken from sleep by the sound of my phone ringing. Who could possibly be calling at this hour?

"Who is it?" came the muffled voice of Burke next to me.

"I don't know. Let me check. Go back to sleep, okay?" I said, gently.

"If you know what's good for you, you will hang up this phone and you will never call me at this time of night again." I said as I clicked on the phone.

"Christina? It's Meredith. I need to talk to you." Was the really quiet voice on the other end.

"Meredith? What is it? What's wrong? Did you break someone else's penis?" I was instantly alert. If Meredith was calling it had to be something interesting.

"No. I'm in New York. I'm moving here. I made a terrible mistake last night and this was the only option I could come up with." She said.

"WHAT!? You're MOVING to NEW YORK? That makes no sense. You couldn't have done anything that bad." I reasoned.

"I slept with George. And I cried during the middle. It's that bad."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." She confirmed.

"Wow. It IS that bad. But what are you going to do in New York. You're a surgical intern you can't just transfer hospitals in the middle of your internship. Have you talked to the Chief? You're ruining your career."

"I have talked to the Chief. Technically, he's giving me an extended leave of absence. I suppose he understands what I'm going through. But I doubt if I will come back. I've only been in New York a couple of hours and I'm already in love with it. I need a fresh start, away from McDreamy, away from my mother, and away from my mistakes. I'll never be able to do anything to make things right with George, so I might as well make things right with myself. And I'm definitely NOT going to be a doctor any longer. A fresh start means a fresh career. I've always wanted to be a journalist so I'm going to try and get a job doing that. But, IF things don't work out here, I'll be back. I'll miss you Christina, but, on my first day off I'll come and visit you, and I expect the same from you. I gotta go hail a cab. I'll call you later. Bye."

And with that she was gone. By hanging up the phone my person was moving away. This was going to be much harder for me than it was for her. How was I supposed to get through all of this unfamiliar relationship stuff without my person?

I'm being selfish. Meredith's right. This is what's best for her. George was just another in a long line of her mistakes. And New York was a long way away from all of them. I hope this works out for her.

**A/N: Back to Meredith**

After my conversation with Christina I was feeling a lot better. Now I had told everyone, I had a place to live and I was well on my way to starting over.

Mark had left me alone after we had disembarked with directions to his apartment and a promise that he would have a key waiting for me with the doorman. Since I had nothing better to do I decided to explore New York. And start scoping out places for a job. Even though, with as much money as my mother had saved away I wouldn't have to work for the rest of my life. Maybe I wouldn't work after all. I could be Mark's "housewife" but definitely not desperate. I would have to think more about this. But today I was exploring New York and nothing was going to get in my way.

Dropping my bags off at Mark's place seemed like a good idea. No, if I'm going to live there I am going to have to stop referring to it as Mark's place. It's our place, where we will live, as friends. I lived with George without any problem. Never mind, I almost forgot. George was my biggest problem.

Maybe living with Mark wasn't my smartest decision. But it couldn't hurt to try, could it?

**A/N: thanks for the reviews once again. Updates probably won't be quite as frequent because the creative juices aren't flowing as well.**

**I still haven't decided what I'm going to make the pairings. I do know that it will either be Mer/Der with Mer/Mark friendship, Mer/Mark, or Mer/OC. Let me know what you guys want to see and I may try to write it in.**

**Thanks again. And REVIEW!!!**


	6. Coming to Terms

I'd only been in New York for a few hours and I could already tell that I was never going to be bored. There was so much to do, and so much to see. But I was exhausted and needed to go back to the apartment and rest. The past day had been an interesting one to say the least and all I needed was sleep. Sleep would hopefully do me good.

The apartment appeared empty when I got back. I had no idea where Mark was and I supposed it was none of my business. That didn't keep me from being curious though. What could have possibly motivated Mark to invite scary and damaged me to move in? I had no clue what his intentions were. And I was too tired to try and figure them out.

As I stood there I realized that Mark hadn't told me which room to take. Well I needed to figure it out, and if he wasn't going to be there to tell me, then I was going to have to do it on my own. So I headed down the hall and opened the first door I came to.

I was not prepared for what I saw.

There looking at me was a perfectly naked Mark Sloan. Well, I use the term looking loosely. More like smirking.

I looked away quickly. I could feel my face flaming. Was I seriously blushing? I was a grown woman, and I'd seen plenty of naked men, and I was BLUSHING over MARK SLOAN?

"I…I….I was looking for my room. I'm s..s….sorry. I'll just go…keep looking." I stammered.

"Wait, Meredith. I need to talk to you." He rushed after me; thankfully he now had a towel wrapped around himself.

"Listen, Mark. I'm really tired. And I'm really not in the mood to talk. So if you could just show me where my room is." I said, still embarrassed at what I had seen.

"Sure. 2nd door on the right." He said, this time a little coldly.

What was his problem? Oh well, I didn't need to deal with moody men right now.

I hurried into my room and shut the door. I knew my face was still blood red. I was not expecting to see that much of Mark, and on my first day here. Definitely "McSteamy."

I was not feeling like this over my room-mate. This would bring a whole new set of issues to the large bag of them I'd already piled up.

I fell asleep wondering if my life was just meant to be crappy. Mostly I figured that it was.

**A/N: this part will be back in Seattle. In 3rd person.**

George and Izzie walked out of their rooms at the same time. They looked at each other, and both of them could tell there was something different about the house. Like there was something missing. Neither of them knew what it was. But they had a feeling that it was going to be something bad.

"Where's Meredith?" Izzie questioned.

"How would I know where Meredith is? It's not like I'm her boyfriend or anything." George muttered angrily.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…" Izzie trailed off.

"I'm FINE! Now go wake up Meredith. We're going to be LATE!" he basically yelled.

With that he stomped down the stairs, presumably to get some coffee.

Izzie walked into Meredith's room without even knocking. Frankly, she was tired of the moping Meredith that they had to drag out of bed in the mornings. She was not prepared to not see her missing. Meredith wasn't in the house. And that was bad.

"GEORGE!!!!" she yelled.

"MEREDITH'S GONE!!!" she was yelling as she walked into the kitchen.

"I know." He whispered as he dropped the note onto the floor.

Izzie picked it up and read it. At the apology to George Izzie took pause. What was Meredith apologizing to George for? And why did George wake up in such a bad mood this morning? There was definitely more to Meredith leaving Seattle than just "McDreamy" and Izzie was determined to get to the bottom of it.

One of her room-mates was angry and moping and one had moved to the other side of the country. Izzie Stevens was going to fix this. She had to.


	7. Leftovers

I woke up in the middle of the night with an extreme case of dry mouth. I dragged myself out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. The refrigerator was one of those with the ice and water built in the door. As I didn't want to take a chance on waking Mark up I chose a glass of water sans ice. Now that I thought about it, I was awfully hungry too. I wondered what kinds of things Mark would have in the refrigerator.

I pulled open the door and felt like I'd hit a gold mine. There was a box of pizza, Chinese food, and even left-over lasagna. These were the kinds of things a girl like me lived off of, the kinds of things that I was more than happy to see. I decided that the Chinese looked the most appealing so I popped off the top and dropped some of the rice on a plate. I couldn't stand eating out of the carton. It really bugged me. I also couldn't eat it cold. So I took a chance on waking up Mark and stuck the plate in the microwave.

The beeping was louder than expected and I really hoped Mark was a deep sleeper. I didn't want him to wake up and find me in the state I was in. Since I had just crawled out of bed and walked into the kitchen, my hair was probably a mess and I was only wearing a tank top and my underwear. Not how you wanted to be caught standing in the kitchen when your room-mate might as well be Adonis.

But luck was not on my side tonight and Mark came stumbling into the kitchen just as I put the first bite in my mouth. I found myself once again blushing over this man, the second time in a day. Why was I blushing, you ask? Well, he was only in his boxers. And like I said, Mark was definitely "McSteamy."

I swallowed the bite of food in my mouth and I muttered, "Hello."

"Hey, yourself." He said, looking me over, taking in my state of undress.

"I was hungry." I said by way of explanation.

"I see. Well, now that you're up, we can talk. I really do need to talk to you."

"OK. What did you need to talk about?" I questioned. Even though I didn't really want to talk to him, especially looking the way I did, I knew I had to at one point or another so right now seemed as good as any.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you I was sorry for the whole Derek thing. He wouldn't have even been in Seattle to break your heart in the first place if it wasn't for me. I broke him when I slept with Addison. So I'm just really sorry that it ended up breaking you."

"Oh, well…."I trailed off. This was definitely NOT what I expected.

"You don't have to say anything. I know that you probably weren't expecting me to apologize to you, but I just figured if we were going to live together, we might as well start off with a clean slate." He said.

"I wasn't holding any grudges. I know better than anyone that you can't help who you fall in love with." I said.

"Yeah, I guess not." He answered, looking into my eyes.

The silence stretched on and on, with neither of us saying anything, just looking into each other's eyes. I looked away first, of course. The man was too gorgeous for his own good.

"So, what are you eating?" He questioned.

"Some leftover Chinese you had in the fridge. I hope that's okay. I didn't eat anything all day and I was starved." I answered back with a grin.

"No, that's alright. I always put leftovers away but I hardly ever eat them."

"Really? I live off them." I said.

"Well, this living arrangement should work out just fine then."

"I guess it will." It was like we'd come to a mutual understanding. We were just friends, and we would stay that way.

**A/N: I haven't put an author's note in a few and I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still very appreciative of the reviews! Keep reading, and tell me what you think.**

**I still haven't completely ruled out a MerDer pairing but I'm leaning towards Mer/Mark. And Mer OC will never happen. I thought for a second it might work, but realized it won't.**

**So thanks again for reading, and please REVIEW! I love to hear what you guys have to say!!!**


	8. Tequila isYou decide

The next day I woke up and looked around unable to decide where I was

The next day I woke up and looked around unable to decide where I was. Then it rushed back to me almost like a bad dream. I had slept with George and moved to New York. I couldn't believe it. Oh, and that wasn't the worst of it, either. I was now living with none other than "McSteamy." The guy that had had an affair with my "McDreamy's" wife and the guy that was my ex-boyfriend's ex best friend.

Even trying to simplify my life had somehow made it more complicated. Well, there was no sense in worrying about all that stuff right then. I had to set off and find some female companionship in New York. Oh, yeah, and I also needed a job.

By 3:00, my feet were tired of the stilettos that other women seemed at home in, and I was really missing my scrubs and crocs. I was beginning to rethink my decision to try out journalism. Seemed Los Angeles was the land of dreams and New York was where they were crushed. So at the end of the day, in a last ditch effort to find a job, I walked into a pediatrician's office and asked if I could work there as an intern, or even as a physician. I handed the doctor who apparently owned the place my resume and it seemed as if a Dartmouth educated M.D. who had been accepted into the surgical program at Seattle Grace didn't need much more than that, so I was immediately hired.

Did I mention the guy who owned the place was old? And unattractive? That should work out very well in my plan to AVOID MEN. Which I was already 0-1 on because I moved in with MARK SLOAN? Once again, I ask myself, What was I thinking?

As Dr. Epstein said I wouldn't need to start work until the following Monday, I had a few days off. And since work wasn't in the immediate future, I knew what was.

Tequila. And lots of it. So I headed to the closest bar I could find that didn't look like it had come straight from a scene in Sex and the City.

The atmosphere was smoky and the people were unfriendly. Perfect. I plopped myself down at the bar and ordered my usual. A bottle of Jose Cuervo. Yes, the bottle. The bartender looked like he was going to question me but he must have caught the look I sent his direction because he just handed the bottle and a shot glass over with little more than, "Would you like a chaser?"

"No." I replied. "Ruins the burn."

6or 7 shots later, its hard to keep track really, and I was sufficiently drunk. In a city I'd only really seen on TV or the movies. With only one person to call. And I was NOT going to call him. I'd rather have inappropriate sex with a stranger and break his penis than call Mark Sloan to pick me up from a bar at 7 in the evening wasted.

So I decided to slow down. Only one more shot for the next little while. The world was in a comfortable haze of happy and easy and that's where I liked it to be.

The bar had one of the tinkly bell things on the door that sounded everytime someone entered. Which, thankfully, as it was sort of out of the way, didn't happen all that often. But, suddenly the bell sounded once and the door slammed with a resounding thud. I turned to look and there stood…

**A/N: sorry for the cliffhanger. But as it is, I'm doing pretty good to get this chapter out at all. I know its been forever and most of the readers that I had acquired have probably forgotten. I'm sorry. Its been a hectic and busy year in my life and that's all I can say. Hopefully I can get back some of my fanbase and find some new ones along the way.**

**Let me know who you think is coming into the bar.**


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